John Iani and Paul Smyth Join Perkins Coie's Environment, Energy & Resources Practice

WASHINGTON, D.C. and SEATTLE, WA (February 2, 2011) – Perkins Coie has added attorneys John Iani and Paul Smyth to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Iani joins the Seattle office as Partner.  Smyth joins the Washington, D.C. office as Of Counsel.  Iani and Smyth join more than 70 Perkins Coie attorneys focused on environmental, energy, and resource matters.

"We are very pleased that John and Paul have chosen to join our national Environment, Energy & Resources practice," said Tom Lindley, Environment, Energy & Resources Chair.  "They both add incredible depth to our practice and we know our clients will benefit from their experience."

Prior to private practice, Iani was the Regional Administrator for Region 10 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  While there, Iani was responsible for managing EPA's programs in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Iani counsels clients on project development involving energy, natural resources, fisheries, and on environmental issues before Congress, federal and state agencies, regulatory bodies, and the courts.  While serving at the EPA he took the lead on implementing several major initiatives, including a compromise with the U.S. Forest Service that resolved environmental concerns for harvesting fire-damaged salvage timber; water quality programs to protect endangered salmon; and implementing enhanced and streamlined environmental safeguards for future oil, gas, and mining development in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.  Iani is a recognized environmental lawyer in the prominent Chambers USA rankings, and joins Perkins Coie's many other Chambers USA-recognized attorneys.

Recently retired as the Associate Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Smyth is the recipient of the 2010 Environment, Energy, and Resources Government Attorney of the Year Award from the American Bar Association.  He has practiced law for over thirty-six years and has broad experience in water, public land, offshore oil and gas, onshore and offshore renewable energy resources, Indian and environmental law.  Smyth supervised all the legal work for the Department of Interior (DOI) Solicitor's office involving minerals and offshore alternative energy matters for the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and minerals matters for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Smyth also served in numerous other legal capacities within DOI's Solicitor's Office, including acting as the Secretary's interim Director of the Office of Hearings and Appeals and Counselor to the Solicitor and Director of the Indian Trust Litigation Office.

Iani earned his law degree from Seattle University School of Law and his under graduate degree from Occidental College.  Smyth earned his law degree from Boston College Law School.  He earned his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Trinity College.